Ajax Cape Town’s appeal to the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for an urgent interdict of the PSL promotion/relegation playoffs was dismissed by Judge Raylene Keightley on Friday.
It means that the weekend's playoff match between Black Leopards and Jomo Cosmos will go ahead as scheduled. In the first playoff, Leopards defeated Platinum Stars 1-0 on Wednesday.
Furthermore, as it stands now, Ajax are still relegated from the PSL, and will have to campaign in the First Division next season.
On Tuesday, Ajax lost the second arbitration hearing with regard to the eligibility of the Zimbabwean striker Tendai Ndoro.
Arbitrator William Mokhari SC found the Cape club guilty, and they were docked nine points for fielding the player in matches against Platinum Stars, Polokwane City and SuperSport United.
As a result of the dropped points, Ajax finished last on the PSL standings.
They took the matter to the High Court on Wednesday with two applications: to interdict the playoffs, and to set aside Advocate Mokhari’s arbitration award. On Friday afternoon, Judge Keightley dismissed the first application.
As for the second application – for the court to review and set aside the arbitrator’s ruling – Ajax have until May 22 to submit their documentation to the court for the second appeal.
The Cape club, though, does also have the option of taking their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.